The scheduler called me this morning and Macey’s procedure is now scheduled for Friday, September 5th. We’ll call the hospital the day before surgery to find out the time and get instructions, etc. Dr. B will have only a few cases between 8:30a-12noon that day and will operate on the youngest first then work through. We’re working on getting Macey in for a visit and tour with a Child Life Specialist.

This is becoming so real. I’m still at peace about it, but…well, my heart is just a little edgy. I have faith and I believe that all will be fine, but the old nerves still kick in when I least expect it.

We are still processing all of this and praying our way through it. We are grateful that it’s not major and have every hope that things will go smoothly and uneventfully. As always, we appreciate the prayers more than words can express.

Kelly

We met with the surgeon this morning regarding Macey’s cyst. He feels that it is a Thryroglossal Cyst. This is a benign cyst that is congenital and actually pretty common. When the thyroid starts to form, it begins at the base of the tongue and as it develops, it moves down into the neck region. What causes these cysts to develop is that sometimes, for some reason, some of the tissue from the thyroid is “left behind” and it encapsulates in a “knot.”

Dr. B (the surgeon) feels that surgery to remove Macey’s cyst is the best option and after talking with him this morning, Mickey and I agree. He said that if we leave the cyst alone, it could actually grow and start to cause pain OR if it ever becomes infected, it is then really difficult to remove completely and could cause more residual issues.

The surgery is outpatient and done under general anesthesia. The surgery lasts, usually, about an hour. They will remove the cyst and take some of the bone as well.  Once they remove the cyst, it will be sent to the lab to be analyzed and biopsied. Macey will have a small incision on her neck and will have dissolvable stitches. Assuming there are no complications, she will come home the day of surgery.

Dr. B is incredibly nice. Mickey and I both got a real sense of peace after meeting with him and talking everything over. We are all on the same page that this is the right choice of treatment for Macey because it’s best to go ahead and remove it before any complications potentially arise. The surgery scheduler will call us in the next few days and we’ll get it scheduled. We are hoping to have it on a Friday so that Macey can recouperate over the weekend and return to school on Monday. (She really dislikes missing school.) The surgery will be at the hospital where I used to work, so that is comforting as well. I know Macey will be in great care and is always in God’s loving embrace.

Please continue to lift up prayers for Macey and our family. We are still at peace about this, but it’s still hard to thinking of a child undergoing surgery. Still, we know that God is with Macey and will see her thought every step of this journey.

Kelly

Good morning!

I wan’t sure if I would post about this on my blog because it’s such a personal prayer request and this blog is public. But, then it occured to me that God’s people everywhere can be connected in prayer. So, I am posting today to ask for prayers for our Macey.

Back in May, Macey was spending a week with my mom. While they were playing one day, Mom noticed a knot on Macey’s neck. She alerted me to it and we decided to have it checked out by the pediatrician. I didn’t want to alarm Macey, so I didn’t make a special appointment to check out the knot since her check-up was due in July anyway. When we saw the pediatrician in July, she examined the knot and told us that her guess would be a cyst (which is quite common), but that she wanted to have an ultrasound performed to get a better look. So, last week we went for the ultrasound appointment. The pediatrician’s office called to let us know that Macey’s thyroid is fine and that the ultrasound detected a 1cm mass that they believed to be a benign cyst. So, her pediatrician recommended that we see a surgeon for a consultation. I got on the phone immediately and got an appointment for that consultation. The appointment is this morning at 11AM (EST).

We have a real peace about all of this. Neither Mickey not I have really gotten scared or otherwise freaked out by this. Apparently this type of cyst is common in children. It hasn’t changed in size since it was discovered and it doesn’t hurt Macey, so those facts are reassuring. Also assuring is the ultrasound result that it is likely a benign cyst. Still, we are seeing the surgeon today to determine if it should be removed. Mickey and I want to do what is best for our daughter, so we pray for discernment as to her medical treatment. We don’t want her to have to have surgery, but if it’s for the best, that is what we will do.

So, I’m asking for prayer today. For continued excellent health for Macey, for the mass to be benign in certainty, for continued peace and for guidance in making the right decisions. I will update this afternoon.

Kelly

Today when I was resting with Mariana, I started thinking about blessings. At first I thought about how I should really count my blessings. I had that old hymn on my mind and it really stirred me to think of how many ways I could count the many blessings God has brought into my life. Then I started thinking about how with each blessing, I could dig deeper and find more blessings within the original. It occurred to me that by “dividing” the “big” blessing, I would see a multitude of other blessings within it. And, honestly, that just hit me as such a God thing. I mean, there is no other way to divide and come up with a greater number. Dividing leads to reduction, right? Not with blessings. Because the deeper you get into dividing out the blessings in life, the more you see how much you’ve been blessed. Amazing.

Seriously, did I just make any sense at all? Or, is this one of those thought processes that makes people sort of go “Hmmm. Okay.” and move on?! Let me see if I can explain it better…

I got to thinking about one particular blessing in our family that we also believe involved at least one miracle. This took place last summer (2007) when Macey, Mariana and I were outside playing in the play-fort in our backyard. The fort, at that time, had a ladder to get into and out of it with an opening in the floor. The girls and I were using sidewalk chalk up there to draw on the walls and floors. I cautioned Macey to be VERY careful around the opening and to really pay attention so that she didn’t fall out of the opening and get hurt. Well, less than one minute later, she fell. It happened so quickly that I didn’t even SEE it happening. She screamed out and cried for me and I knew that she had fallen in just an instant. I grabbed Mariana, climbed down the ladder and went to Macey. Miraculously, she had landed where her head was wedged between the support beams and the ladder. She had not fallen and broken anything. She was conscious and alert. We took her to the pediatrician who believed her to be fine, but sent us on to the ER to be on the safe side. By this point, we could see some obvious bruises and scratches, but Macey was acting normal and was even wanting to eat. So, we got her a Happy Meal on the way to the ER. The doctor came in for the exam and suggested a CT Scan. Because Macey had eaten, they wouldn’t be able to do a sedated scan for several hours, but said that if she could hold still, they could do it with no sedation. So, I talked to her, went in with her and stayed right with her during the scan and she did great - never moved a bit. Fortunately, the scan revealed no internal bleeding, nothing broken, no major injury. The worst of Macey’s injuries were a hematoma behind her ear and some scrapes and less significant bruises. We were free to go home and just told to ice her bruises and give over-the-counter meds for pain. Macey was absolutely fine after that. My heart had taken a terrible beating since I was the one out there with her when it all happened. So, I think in some ways I was worse off than she was when it was all said and done. In the end, she was fine.

When I think about the events of that unfortunate accident, I see God’s fingerprints ALL over it. I see miracles and I see blessings. The biggest miracle, to me, was that Macey landed in such a way that she wasn’t seriously injured or worse. It could have just been awful if she had landed much of any other way. We just feel that she must have had an angel there to cushion her fall. There are also so many blessings about that day. The biggest, of course, was that Macey was okay. If I had to list just one blessing about the day, it would be that she came through it okay. But, when I really think about it and divide it all out, there are just so many more blessings there. It was a blessing that the girls and I got to play outside that day and have fun before the accident happened. It was a blessing (and miracle) that Macey didn’t fall in a worse way than she did. It was a blessing that she had a pediatrician that took her in immediately. It was a blessing that she felt like eating on the way to the ER and was acting like her normal self all the while. It was a blessing that the ER wasn’t crowded and we were seen really quickly. It was a blessing that they had a movie in the ER room to keep the girls occupied. It was a blessing that we could be there as a family and not have to be separated or in waiting rooms. It was a blessing that the doctor would order a CT scan without sedation. It was a blessing that Macey didn’t move and handled the CT so well. It was a blessing that no major injuries resulted. It was a blessing to return home with only over the counter medication to take as needed. It was a blessing to have dinner at a local pizza joint that night with friends to take our mind off things. SO many blessings were all over that day. Yet, I could easily sum it up with just saying it was a blessing that Macey was okay. But, to divide it out, to break it down, reveals so much more. And, to me, that’s how God works. He’s mysterious. He’s gracious and good. He’s above and beyond our understanding. He’s powerful and strong. He still works miracles. And, He sends those blessings to us all the time whether or not we take the time to realize just how deeply those beautiful blessings actually go.

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done…

I neglected to come back and report about Macey’s first day of Kindergarten. That’s because we have been BUSY as bees around here, but in good ways.

The first day for Macey was terrific. She loved it! She got to ride the bus home and thought that was quite possibly the coolest mode of transportation ever. She told us all about her day and it seems like the highlights were lunch and playground time. There wasn’t one element of the day that wasn’t exciting to her though. She even wore her name tag when we went to the grocery store because she wanted “everyone” to know she had been to school. When the cashier asked if she had started school, her face lit up and she proudly answered “Yes!” Then she told the lady her grade and school - beaming all the while.

So, school is certainly a hit in our household. As is the bus. I have to take Macey to an appointment this afternoon and she was SO disappointed about not getting to ride the bus that she literally begged to get up early and ride this morning. So, Mickey woke her up early and, sure enough, she popped right up and got ready to go. Mickey walked her to the bus stop (at 6:45AM!!) and said she bounded right onto the bus as happy as could be.

At the end of this week we’ll find out who her teacher will be for the whole year. They do “Kindergarten Camp” (which I might have already mentioned) this week which includes evaluations to be sure that students are in their appropriate classes, etc. They hope to keep the current classes intact, but may have to do some shifting, etc. Her current teacher is super sweet and attends our church, so those are just two of the reasons we hope we keep her. Guess we’ll find out on Friday.

I’ll try to post back soon about Kindergarten. This is an exciting adventure for us all.

Today is Macey’s first day of kindergarten. To say that she has been excited about this day is an understatement. To say that she was happy this morning doesn’t even come close to the mega-watt smile that stayed plastered across her beautiful face. She was absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it READY for school.

Here we are together before leaving for school:

And, here are Mariana, Mickey and Macey walking towards the school from the parking area:

We walked in with her today since it’s the first day, of course. Macey found a hook for her backpack, got her snack out and went to her classroom. She got to put her snack in her cubby and then had to get her “rest towel” out of her bag and bring that in. Then she was set. She sat down at her place at the table to color. She was so happy to be there. She wasn’t nervous or anything, just ready. And, I must say that it really was touching to my heart to see her that way. I know that school will bring her lots of great things. Besides learning (which is obviously key), she’ll make new friends and just have so many great experiences. Her journey is just starting and we are so excited to watch her as she goes through it all.

Several friends and family members have been so sweet to send emails or texts today and some have called as well. I have told everyone that I am really not emotional at all. Not in a sad way. Mickey and I are both nostalgic because it seems like only yesterday when our Macey was a baby girl, but this is a happy day. To be around Macey and to see her excitement, it would be impossible to be sad. So, we’re happy right alongside her.

The bus comes in just under an hour to bring Macey home. So, I’m off to make cookies for her. Nothing like good old fashioned milk and cookies for a snack, right? And, I just can’t wait to hear all about her special day…

Mickey and I took the girls to the Chattahoochee Nature Center this afternoon. It was our first visit to CNC and I have to say that we were very impressed. We did a short walk along a paved path and went through the butterfly garden which lead down to the beaver pond and then over to the raptor aviary. Then we got to see a Florida pine snake which was shown by a CNC employee. Mariana and I got to touch the snake as well! There were more hiking trails, but we didn’t get to explore them today. We’ll certainly go back though. Can’t wait!

Here are some photos I took there today. (You can click on the photos to view them larger. They’ll pop out and then you can X out individually without losing your place on the blog. )

If you haven’t seen the recent interviews with Steven Curtis Chapman and his family, I have some video links. The testimony of the Chapman family is so powerful. They have faced an unthinkable tragedy in the death of their daughter/sister Maria Sue. They are continuing to deal with the grief and loss every day. They are getting through this journey with faith. Absolute unwavering faith. I have had a tremendous amount of respect for this family for a long time and that has only grown. Let’s please remember to keep them in our prayers.

From Good Morning America:

Larry King Live video segment. This is a synopsis video. YouTube has several postings with the complete interview broken into series clips.

Blessings,
Kelly

It’s hard to believe that summer is rapidly drawing to an end. Not the “real” end, but the official end as far as school days go. Public school here starts back on Monday, August 11th. So, in other words, three more days. It’s hard to believe that summer has passed by so quickly. We had a full one that included VBS, dance camp, a trip to the beach, a visit to the Georgia Aquarium, birthday parties and more. We had more things that we had wanted to do, but just never got around to it. Still, we managed to keep busy and have a lot of fun. And, in the course of all that fun, the days fell away rather quickly. Now, here we are - the last weekday before the beginning of school. Already. Incredible, isn’t it? Around here, we’lll have several more weeks of true summer, but with school beginning our activities will be curtailed quite a bit during the week. We’ll start to get up earlier in the morning and things will work themselves into a new normal - a new routine for all of us. Preschool will start in two weeks (from Monday) and then, before we know it, the crispness of fall will be in the air. But, I’m certainly not one for rushing into fall just yet. I want to savor these last summer days. It might be over as far as school goes, but there is still fun to be had outdoors in the evenings and on weekends.

Come Monday morning, we’ll have a Kindergartener in our house. Miss Macey is so excited to begin elementary school. Yesterday we went to Meet & Greet and got to meet her teacher and get more school information. The classroom she’ll be in is so nice. It’s big and has great light, plus lots of great station areas for the kids. Next week they will have “Kindergarten Camp” in which each Kindergarten teacher will rotate to each class and evaluations will be performed on each student for class placement. We will find out on Friday who her teacher will be for the rest of the school year. It’s all so exciting.

For now, it’s off to enjoy this weekend. We are hoping to take the girls to the zoo this afternoon for a family adventure. We also hope to do a lot of swimming this weekend. And, then Sunday we’ll have church, family time and gearing up for the BIG day on Monday.

Summer isn’t over yet, so I hope everyone will enjoy what’s left of it. Happy weekend, all!

Steven Curtis Chapman and family will appear on Larry King Live tonight. This is what is on the Larry King segment of CNN’s website - A tragic accident led to a miracle — and reinforced their faith. They’re taking your calls. It’s an hour of inspiration and hope tonight on Larry King Live! I have set our DVR to record this. Steven Curtis and family have always had such an amazing story and testimony. I can only imagine how powerful this segment will be.